Bosnia (Hansard, 8 June 1995)

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions in the past 18 months in which each United Nations safe area in Bosnia has been used by(a) Bosnian Government Muslims and (b) Croatian forces for training troops and mounting attacks on Bosnian Serbian, Bosnian non-Government Muslim and Croatian Serbian positions. [272216]

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
In accordance with UN Security Council resolutions Nos. 819, 824 and 836, Bosnian Government forces are permitted to remain in all the safe areas in Bosnia; there are no safe areas in which Croatian forces are present. We support the efforts of the UN to secure the demilitarisation of the safe areas and call on both sides to co-operate with the UN commanders on the ground in their efforts to achieve this.

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions since 1 May an ultimatum was given to(a) the Bosnian Government Muslims and (b) the Bosnian Serbs to return heavy weapons taken from United Nations control; how many weapons were taken by each of the two sides; and if all the weapons taken by the Bosnian Muslims were returned to United Nations control before the deadlines expired. [27339]

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
On 24 May General Smith issued an ultimatum to the Bosnian Serbs to return four weapons they had removed from Osijek and Poljine weapons collections points. This did not apply to the Bosnian Government, who had not taken weapons from UN control. At the same time General Smith demanded that both sides remove their heavy weapons from the 20 km exclusion zone around Sarajevo. Neither side has complied with either ultimatum.

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ground attacks have been launched by the Bosnian Government Muslims against the Bosnian Serbs since Sarajevo was declared a United Nations safe area. [272209]

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
There are no reliable statistics available regarding such attacks. We urge both sides to refrain from fighting and to co-operate with the UN in its efforts to renew the cessation of hostilities agreement which expired on 30 April.

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on which side instigated the recent outbreak of hostilities in Sarajevo which led to United Nations military intervention. [27207]

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The failure of both parties to renew the cessation of hostilities agreement on 30 April led to increased tension in Bosnia and an upsurge in fighting. Both sides used heavy weapons in and around Sarajevo. Following General Smith's ultimatum of 24 May, the Serbs continued shelling safe areas and refused to return the heavy weapons they had removed from UN collection points.